The Promise of Bike-Sharing in India

Rapid
economic growth in developing countries has resulted in increased
purchasing power among the people, which manifests itself in an
ever-increasing number of private vehicles. This, in turn, is leading to
greater traffic congestion; an increase in road accidents, some of
which are fatal; and rapidly deteriorating air quality of the cities we
live in. An EMBARQ India analysis of travel patterns in Indian cities
reveals that 56–72% of trips are performed within a distance of 5
kilometers or less, which is ideal for cycling and bike-sharing
networks.

Bike-sharing networks offer a solution

Public
bicycle sharing is an innovative platform comprising short-term bicycle
rental systems, at which bicycles can be picked up at any self-serve
bicycle station and returned to any other bicycle station.

Bike-sharing
is ideal for need-based, point-to-point, short-distance trips and is an
ideal alternative transport mode to complete the “last mile” of a
journey. Public bike-sharing networks differ from traditional
leisure-oriented bicycle rental services, in that they provide fast and
easy access to bicycles, and can be used for daily one-way trips.
Additionally, they do not place a burden of ownership on the user. The
bicycle is both an alternative and viable individual transport mode and
an extension of service for “first and last mile” connectivity between
home or the workplace and public transport facilities — distances that
may be considered too far to walk.

Cycling has the
important potential to influence all three elements of the
Avoid-Shift-Improve strategy of sustainable transport and development in
cities – explained here
by EMBARQ Director Holger Dalkmann — by offering a healthy,
eco-friendly alternative to motorized transport, while also promoting
people-centric urban development.

Check out the video below featuring the 2010 debut of bike-sharing in India:

Bike-sharing from a user perspective

Bike-sharing
is a flexible and low-cost form of personal public transport. Cycles
are stored in a closely spaced network of stations. With a smart card or
other form of identification, a user can check out a cycle from a
station and return it to any other station.

Typically
systems across the world provide the first half hour free, and rates
increase based on the duration of rental. The nature of the rate
structure allows for rapid turnover, meaning that a single cycle can be
used multiple times over the course of the day.

Modern
bike-sharing networks have the ability to track the identity of the user
as a way of preventing bike theft. All users are required to furnish
proof of identity, either at the time of registration or when signing up
for temporary subscriptions. Credit cards can be used as a security
mechanism if the user fails to return a cycle, a fine can be charged
against the user’s credit card. The user’s account can also be blocked
to prevent him/her from checking out other cycles.

Components of bike-sharing systems:

A dense network of stations across the coverage area

Cycles of varying sizes with specially designed parts to discourage theft

Radio
frequency identification devices (RFIDs) to track where a cycle is
picked up, where it is returned, and the identity of the user

Regular redistribution of cycles

Real-time
monitoring of station occupancy rates through General Packet Radio
Service (GPRS), used to guide the redistribution of cycles

Entrepreneur
V. Ramesh first brought bike-sharing to India in 2010, after witnessing
its success in Barcelona, Spain. “The idea appealed to me so much,”
Ramesh recalled, “that I quit my job in the financial sector and devoted the whole year to ground research for this project.” The FreMo system in Thane, a city outside Mumbai, in addition to the Cycle Chalao!
System on Mumbai’s streets from 2010 to 2012 (see video below),
demonstrated just how much potential bike-sharing could have for urban
commuters in India.

Successful
implementation of a cycle sharing system requires meticulous planning
and oversight on the part of the government. Most cycle sharing systems
operate in a public-private partnership structure in which the
government carries out planning and oversight activities and the private
sector handles day-to-day operations. As with most public transport
systems, cycle sharing systems generally require supplemental revenue
sources to cover operating and investment costs. Revenue streams used in
major cycle sharing systems around the world include annual and
temporary membership fees, advertising, sponsorships, and on-street
parking fee proceeds.

Around 25–30 percent of trips in
cities across India are performed using non-motorized modes — a practice
which needs to be preserved and promoted, if urban development is to be
sustainable. As a first step towards this objective, bike-sharing
offers a promising solution. Public bicycle sharing systems can be
introduced in the core areas of cities on a pilot basis. Based on the
success of the pilots, they can be expanded to other areas of a city.